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Army sergeant indicted in April slaying

A U.S. Army sergeant on Wednesday was indicted on murder and related charges in the slaying of Savannah businessman Armando Montes.

Emmanuel Perez caused Montes’ death by shooting him with a pistol April 23, the Chatham County grand jury found in returning a malice-murder count.

The grand jury also indicted Perez, 31, on a felony murder count that he caused Montes’ death during an aggravated assault, as well as during the commission of an aggravated assault with a pistol.

The indictment included three additional counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Montes, 30, was gunned down outside his tire store, Brothers Tires, at 2 Hampstead Ave. He was shot in the head at close range and 11 times in the back during an altercation there.

The fatal shooting apparently followed a quarrel between Perez and his wife at their home over a “relationship” she had with Montes, Savannah-Chatham police detective Jonathan Puhala testified at a preliminary hearing May 9.

The detective testified the gunman emptied the magazine of a 40-caliber Glock into the victim’s back as he stood over him.

Perez, dressed in his Army uniform, then drove to the military police station at Hunter Army Airfield and turned himself in, Puhala said.